My NEW Story Starts Here...

[Janice]

My NEW Story Starts Here...

.....why not get back on the hypno cds as well....you did them last time didn't you??

[Doggygirl]

My NEW Story Starts Here...

Janice;287478 wrote: .....why not get back on the hypno cds as well....you did them last time didn't you??

Hi Janice - yes indeed. That is a great suggestion. I will dust them off today. I've stayed on the All One and some of the other supplements all along - need to do SOMETHING good for me! But I'm going to start the Kudzu and L-Glut again this week too. While I'm at it - I'm adding "re-read the book" to my list of things to do to get on this wagon again.

I've been re-reading the Topomax thread in the medications section from the very beginning (that'll keep ya busy!). I'm up to July 2007 which is nostalgic - July 11 '07 was my original quit date for 60 days AF. At that time, I bought some Topomax, but never used it. It's been sitting in my freezer. I have questions about that and other stuff that I will be asking once I get done reading the Topomax thread.

Anyway...The Battle Rages On!

DG

[Cinders]

My NEW Story Starts Here...

DoggyGirl,

I am so glad to see you back.

Keep ragin' on. I'm fighting right next to you!!

Love,
Cindi

[happydog]

My NEW Story Starts Here...

Hi DG,

So glad you have come back.

Just read through your post, you are a inspiration to me....I have faith in you...you can do this again....Remember the PMA, Positive, Mental, Attitude....I will remember this one for myself...you know what stood out in your post for ME today, was the bit when you said.....cant stand what booZe is doing to me especially now that i have taken the time to know what its doing to me.

STAY WITH US.

Love

Teardrop.x

[livingfree]

My NEW Story Starts Here...

Thank you so much - That is what I am going to do now - My NEW Story starts here. You are amazing.

[Doggygirl]

My NEW Story Starts Here...

HannahBanana! Londoner! tkeene! Teardrop! Livingfree! dowjbw! Janice! I hope I didn't miss anyone, but ANYONE! in case I did!

I know I said hi to some of you earlier in the thread. I'm just awestruck about all of your friendship - even as I have come and gone, and been gone a lot of late (and not in a good way).... You all inspire me.

I love you all so much.

I have to resurrect and refresh the list of things I will do when I am not drinking. The things that can occupy my mind and my time and my interest when I shun the BoozeBeast. Wanna help me by contributing the things that work for you? I would sure appreciate the help:

1. Make time to go see my Dad, and go shopping with him for seeds, and little tiny planters, and little starter dirt bags (eh em, actual dirt, not men ) to start some plants for this summer's vegetable garden. I will also get Mr. Doggy to resurrect the table and grow lights in the garage. But Dad is the one who REALLY knows what he's doing with this stuff.

2. Get that library card. I've been threatening to do that since last July. I'm a bit that my extreme property taxes don't qualify me for a free one because I'm outside city limits. But that $120 or so a year will be a lot less than I spend in a much shorter period of time at Amazon.

3. Get back to 6X per week working out. 3X at Curves, 3X on treadmill. As much as I hate getting started, I feel FABULOUS when I'm done, and a natural high helps with the not drinking.

Well, that's a little start. I would love your suggestions. It's a really nice early spring day here. One of those days that makes you feel hopeful that it's gonna be a really good year. Enough for now...

[Janice]

My NEW Story Starts Here...

Thats the Doggy I know!!! I remember you kicking my butt a few times last summer!!! Come on, get that plan sorted ......remember, it only takes a moment to become sober!

KEEP POSTING!!!


Janicexxx

[Doggygirl]

My NEW Story Starts Here...

Hi Janice!! Thanks for your message and kick in the butt! You helped me decide to go ahead and DUMP it.

I already posted this info elsewhere, but I feel like I should add this info to My New Story Starts Here.

Yesterday at approx. 3PM CST, I dumped out the Vodka. I dumped the remains of one big bottle out doors, and my current avatar has a picture of the event. It was a beautiful spring day. A friend of ours was here helping cut up some downed trees. I sat up on one of those big trees and poured out the booze. It was great looking around the yard from that vantage point, and imagining a wonderful booze-free spring and summer. So many possibilities of things to do other than be tipsy all the time.

I was hesitant at first to involve my friend. But frankly, the more people who I fess up my problem too, the more committed I start to feel about making the change to a booze-free life. The other half empty Vodka bottle was emptied down the kitchen sink with Mr. Doggy in attendance.

The only other booze in the house that would be mildly tempting for me is a bottle of red wine (during my wino times, I prefer white). It was a gift to us, and is a pretty nice bottle so rather than throw it out, I'm going to have Mr. Doggy hide it until we can re-gift it.

There is some Scotch, Crown Royal, and beer - but those aren't for me. I'd rather eat dog poop.

So...I think I'm all set. I keep thinking about how far along I would be now if I hadn't quit quitting the booze back last fall, and then again in November after a week or so of a false start. It's spilt milk now, but I'm going to remember this for the future. Why go backwards? Why go through the withdrawls over and over - the intense craving time over and over, etc. I intend to make this the LAST time I have to endure this crap.

I've been reading in the Topomax thread trying to decide if I want to give that a try with the Topa I already have. I keep coming to the conclusion that I don't really want to go the meds route. Nothing against that for people who DO choose that route. I would just rather not feel like I'm dependent on a med. We'll see how things go in the next 1 - 2 weeks.........

Anyway, now I'm off to catch up with everyone else and try to offer support to "pay it forward" - the wonderful support all of you give to me.

DG
*

[4theboyz]

My NEW Story Starts Here...

Hey there DG,

Congrats on giving old AL the kick in the ass, he needs more of those IMO. What a great way to celebrate the arrival of Spring after such a long drawn out crappy winter here in Illinois. Stay strong and keep us posted on your progress.

[FallenAngel]

My NEW Story Starts Here...

Doggygirl;167080 wrote:

July 20, 2007


I quit smoking almost 5 months ago. That was difficult ? the first month I didn?t even know myself ? who the heck is this crazy shrew with the wildest mood swings I?ve ever seen? But I toughed it out and with time, saying ?no? to lighting up became easier. The down side was that my desire for alcohol actually increased ? which is hard to believe considering how much I was already drinking.

Hello DG!
I'm new here on the forum & I just read your post from last July. Wow... we sure do have a lot in common... as I read through your story, I could see myself in so much of what you said.
About the time you wrote this post, I was celebrating my one year milestone of quitting smoking. I too had found a smoking cessation forum that I helped me in my quit.
I never thought that quitting smoking could have such a profound effect on a person, but I truly feel that over the course of the year, it turned into a life-altering experience. Two days after my milestone, I decided to quit drinking... I felt like I needed and was ready to conquer another challenge. I too received an email from someone last summer about this site.... I wonder if it's the same person...who knows.... could very possibly be! (I still have her email, I could pm that to you if you like). I never looked into this site until about a week ago when I realized that the people that had been my support, were no longer around.
tkeene has introduced herself to me & she is great! I look forward to getting to know you & so many others here on the forum!

I loved what you did yesterday with the Vodka! As I already said to you, this is a great gesture on your part & it will forever stay with you as a firm reminder of your strong will & determination to beat this addiction! You can do this.... I know you can! I'm here if you ever want to talk or just have fun
Enjoy your AF day... it's great to be sober!!

K.

[Doggygirl]

My NEW Story Starts Here...

Hi 4theboyz! Great to meet another fellow IL person. Hmmm..... I have a sick mind, so that sorta works...an "IL(l) person..... Thank you for posting to My New Story and I look forward to getting to know you!!

Hi Fallen Angel aka K. Yes..please do PM me - I wonder if we have the same person looking out for us! Wouldn't surprise me. Congratulations on your 7 months sober, and also on your approaching 2 year anni of being an ex-smoker!!! I celebrated my one year ex-smoking anni on Feb 26 and it felt so good. I can't wait to get to the point where drinking is behind me as smoking is behind me.

Well, around 3PM this afternoon I crossed the 24 hours AF mark. (Sorry - yes, I am a hopeless counter!!) I never, ever want to have to repeat Day 1 AF again. I have it better than a lot of people describe, and for that I'm grateful. But even though my withdrawl symptoms are mild by comparison, I still don't like this edginess, crabiness, headache, etc. I will be going to bed VEREE early today to relax with a movie and hopefully get some sleep. (although I remember those sleepless nights from the first time around.....) Hannah suggested Valerian Root which for me worked much better than Melatonin so...**note to self: take some!!**

I don't feel right posting about this topic anywhere else, but I feel like saying that I was sad to realize that there has been a recent problem here at the forum where feelings were hurt. I am mostly sad for Luv because while I don't know the details - and it's not my business at this stage - it sounds like she took a hard fall and I just hope she is getting the help she needs in "3D" life. With alcohol problems, I do think there is a limit somewhere of what people can do to help each other long distance. It sounds like this is/was a situation where local help was needed. Anyway....It seems that the tensions may have prompted Satori to take a sabatical and that makes me especially sad because he was a close mentor to me. I started my best AF stint close to the time he started his current (and hopefully final) AF stint. He went on to success where I stumbled - but his success inspires me. (like all of the successes here - I just happened to be a little closer to his and some others in that same time frame) I hope that doesn't come out wrong - because the LAST thing I want to do is pile on to what has already been a difficult time for many of the members here. I'm just sad for Luv and Satori felt like he needed to take time away and said for everyone who felt hurt by whatever all happened - that's all.

I hope I never hurt anyone here. If I do, please talk to me because I respect this forum so much. It's just human nature that among a large group like this, we tend to gravitate towards some people more than others. Just like in 3D life. But I have respect for everyone. I hope that's always been obvious...but just in case not. I have my own ways of going about things in life - but that DOESN'T mean I think my way is the only way, or that everyone should do things or try things my way.

I may have hurt some people when I vanished from the forum after my fall around 9/9/07, and then after my brief return and subsequent fall in early November. LOL - see? I AM an alcoholic because that last sentence sure sounds "all about me" to me!!! Anyway, what I'm clumsily trying to say is that did not intend an "I don't care about you people" message. I personally did not feel right being here when I was choosing to go back to daily drinking. There was nothing at the time that anyone could say to me to get me back on the wagon until I was ready to come back. And I didn't want to make drunk posts, and felt hypocritical about offering "support" to others while drinking and not even trying not to.

But anyway, I really want this to be my LAST "Day 1 AF" so hopefully that's all water under the bridge.

I've noticed comments here and there (not in a negative way...just mentions) about the merits (or not) of counting AF days. I'm a counter, but I have lots of non-counting friends!! I think we all have to do what works for us. With smoking, counting each precious day was helpful and important to me until somewhere around the 150 day mark. Then I started having to figure it out if I wanted to know my exact count of days. I doubt I will ever forget my annual anniversary date. Since that worked to help me quit smoking, I'm hoping it will work in my quest to quit drinking. It worked for 60 days last year which is the longest AF stretch by a LOONNNNGGG shot that I've had since age 18. So...that's why I count. But I don't suggest anyone else need to count. Just wanted to go on record about that for some reason.

Anyway, I've rambled and babbled and laughed around here between minimal work today (although I did have a quick meeting with the accountant to sign off on 2007 personal and corporate taxes - yeah!!). I want to thank everyone here at MWO for welcoming me back, and giving me the support and encouragement that helped me get through Day 1.

One more thing - it was probably about 3:30PM when the accountant called wanting to come over, and 4:30 or 5:00PM when the accountant got here. If his call had come yesterday or the day before, I would have HAD to make excuses to meet with him tomorrow morning or monday morning at the latest (March 17 is corporate tax due since March 15 is on the weekend). Regardless of my edginess today, I smiled when I was reminded of the freedom from hiding AF brings to my life!

OK - now for real I'm going to say thanks and finish this post!!!!

DG
AF Day 2 (well, since 3PM and a PROMISE my counting won't be quite this anal after a few more days!!!)
**

[Chief]

My NEW Story Starts Here...

I'm glad you're back, DG...

Don

[Doggygirl]

My NEW Story Starts Here...

Thanks Chief!!

[The Londoner]

My NEW Story Starts Here...

Hi DG

Just back from La Dolce Vita exhibition here in Olympia, London and soon on to a music night to celebrate my patron saint! an italian irish collaboration you might say!

so ! I too read it all and I toast you in .... extra extra virgin olive oil, various veg dips and san pellegrino sparkling water
more later
keep writing, won't you? keep succeeding!

ciao bella
Anna:h

[The Londoner]

My NEW Story Starts Here...

Hi DG

Just back from La Dolce Vita exhibition here in Olympia, London and soon on to a music night to celebrate my patron saint! an italian irish extravaganza you might say!

so ! I too read it all and I toast you in .... extra extra virgin olive oil, various veg dips and san pellegrino sparkling water
more later
keep writing, won't you? keep succeeding!

ciao bella
Anna:h